With the Mets and Carlos Beltran mutually parting ways amidst the fallout from the sign-stealing scandal that also claimed Astros manager A.J. Hinch and Red Sox manager Alex Cora, the question now becomes who his replacement will be.
Here are four potential candidates...
Luis Rojas
The 38-year-old Rojas is well-liked in the organization and was a candidate for the job that ultimately went to Beltran, and has been discussed internally about being a potential replacement for him, SNY's Andy Martino reported Thursday. Rojas began his tenure with the Mets in 2006 and has worked his way through the ranks, managing at multiple levels of the minors and eventually becoming the Mets' quality control coach. Viewed as a rising star by some, Rojas could be a high-risk, high-reward choice.
Hensley Meulens
Like Tim Bogar (more on him below), Meulens has thrown his hat in the ring for a bunch of big league manager jobs (including the Yankees in 2017), but hasn't yet gotten the top job. The 52-year-old Meulens is the Mets' bench coach, so like Collins, a transition to manager should be relatively easy. Meulens has nearly 20 years of coaching experience in the minors and majors (though no managerial experience), and worked for the Giants from 2010-2019. He's also familiar with New York, having played for the Yankees from 1989-1993.
Tim Bogar
Bogar has incredibly strong credentials and has interviewed for a number of managerial openings, including with the Mets earlier this offseason. The 53-year-old has been named Manager of the Year three times in the minors, has experience as a coach with five big league teams (including as bench coach for Bobby Valentine in 2012), and was the interim manager for the Rangers in 2014 after the dismissal of Ron Washington. Bogar also knows the market, having played for the Mets in the mid-90s. In December, the Nationals promoted Bogar to bench coach.
Eduardo Perez
The affable Perez was one of the Mets' finalists earlier this offseason (along with Beltran and Derek Shelton). After missing out on the job, he was gracious in defeat. Perez has managed in Puerto Rico (where he was named Manager of the Year in 2008), and managed for Colombia in the 2013 World Baseball Classic. He also has big league coaching experience, having served as the hitting coach for the Marlins (2011-12) and bench coach for the Astros (2013).